High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Hiller VZ-1 Pawnee (U.S. Army designation; earlier Army designation: HO-1) was a unique direct lift rotor aircraft, using contra-rotating ducted fans inside a platform that the single pilot stood upon for lift, and controlled by the pilot shifting his body weight around to tilt the platform. The platform was developed starting in 1953 under an Office of Naval Research contract to Hiller Aircraft Corporation, and flew successfully, starting in 1955.